Fifth-wheel for vehicles.



- L. T. DUNNINGQ FIFTH WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1915 1,171,708. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

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STATES PAN are LUTHER T. Dm m'w AULANDEB, NOR-TH CAROLINA.

' FIFTH-\VHEEL For. vnnrorns. f

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, LUTHER, T. D nNING, acitizen of the United States, residing at Aulander, in the county of Bertie and State.

of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels for Vehicles, of which the following is a specr actly right angles to the front axle, so as to prevent the tongue or the front: axle from turning when one of the front wheels drops into a hole orrut or passes over a stone or other obstruction in the road, and whichis automatically operated by the tongue, when turning the vehicle in any direction, to free the front axle by releasing it from the front bolster.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of thefront portion of the wagon running gear provided with a fifth wheel and tongue constructed and arrangedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of same. Fig. 3 is a. detail vertical transverse sectional view of the fifth wheel, and with tongue shown in section and the pawls shown partly in section. Fig. 4' is a detail horizontal sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspectivewiew partlyin section, of the pawls.

"For the purpose of this sepcification the front axle of a wagon is indicated at 1, the

front bolster at 2 and the reach at 3. The

front wheels are indicated at 4:. The front end of the reach is pivotally connected to the center of the bolster by the king bolt 5.

The fifth wheel comprises, in accordance Specification of Letters Eatent.

the engaging ends of.

axle to the, front bolster. the front wheelspasses over a stone or other Patented heb. 15,1916.

Application filed March so, 1915; Serial No. 18,077.

. in the tongue 8, at a point a considerable dlstance from the rear end of thetongue.

Hence the tongue is pivotally' mounted and is permitted limited pivotal play independent of the front axle. The rear endof the tongue is arranged and allowed to play in a transverse slot or recess 9in the center of the lower fifth Wheel member 7 and the tongue is provided on its upper side, ata point immediately in front of said member 7 with a tappet plate 10 the ends of which as here shown, project beyond opposite sides of the tongue. Any form of tappet may-be provided, and if wide enough,-the tongue mayform its own tappet.

Theupper fifth wheel member 151 0- 'vided with a pair of concentrically arranged racks 1112, the former in frontof the lat ter, and the teeth of said racks' incline in opposite directions and are .reversely ranged. r 7 A pair, of reversed U-shaped pawls 13 1i are provided and adapted to engage the racks 11 and 12., These pawls are arranged reversely to eachother, astride the upper member 6 and with their lower ends pivotally mountedon bolts 15. The pawl 13 is provided with a lug 16 at one side'for engaging theteeth of the rack llandthe'p awl 14 has a similar. lug 17 for engaging'the teeth of the rack 12. The tongue is arranged with its front rear portionbetween the pawls so that when the wagon is running on a straight line-along a road the front axle is parallel with the front bolster, both of the pawls are engaged with the racks hence the upper and lower members of the fifth wheel are locked together by the coac tion of the pawls and theracks, said fifth wheel members serving to' lock the front Hence if one of obstruction in the road or drops into a hole or rut in the road the front axle is prevented from turning on the king bolt as itis locked with the front bolster and the tongue hence is not turned on either side. 7 ever, the tongue is turned to one side or the other by the team, as when turning the vehiole, theta-ppet disengages one of the pawls from one offthe racks. and the other pawl, is permitted to slip idly on its rack, thus unlocking the lower fifth wheel member.

from the upper member and enabling the.

lower fifth Wheel member to turn with the- When, howfront axle, as required, independent of the upper fifth wheel member and of the front bolster.

Then the tongue is turned in either dir'eotionout of a position at right angles to the front axle, it releases one of the pawls, and the other pawl. remains in place to promptly receive any sudden turn in the opposite direction. One of the pawls always'st'ays locked, no matter in which direction the tongue is turned. Springs 19 prevent the pawls from rattling.

In the drawings 1 show. braces 18 which 'oo'nnect'the reach to the front bolster.

While I have herein shown and described a. preferred form of my invention I will have it understood that changes may be made in the form, preparation and construction of the several parts'without departing from-the spirit of "my invention and within the scope of appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1'

claim: 7

1. In a vehicle, the combination of 'the front axle and front bolster, a tongue, a pivotal element connecting the axle and bolst'er and tongue together for independent angular movement, the fifth wheel presenting'a lower member attached to the axle and v 1 the upper member attached to the bolster, and means pivotally mounted on the lower iifthwheel member and adapted to engage with the upper pivotal wheel member, said means being reversely arranged on opposite:-

sides of the tongue and adapted to be disengaged by the tongue when the latter is turned in either direction.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of the.

lar movement, a fifth wheel comprising lower member attached to the axle and anupper member attached to the bolster, said lower member having. concentrically ar ranged racks the teeth oi each are reversely arranged, the pawls pivotally mounted on the lower fifth-wheel member and adapted to engage the racks of theupper fiftlnwheel member, said pawls being reversely arranged and on opposite sides of the tongue and adapted to be disengaged by theto'ngue when the latter is turned. in either direction, both of said pawls normally engagingfthe racks and co'a'cting therewith "to norm-ally lock the fifth wheel members together.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence "of two witnesses.-

LUTHER T. DUNNING. Witnesses:

'SPURGEON Enron,

lJLHOUsE.

copi's of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents? Veishingtomllfli 

